India have announced their 15-player squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The squad brings back some key names, with Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah set to return to the T20I setup. At the same time, Hardik Pandya remains out as he has not yet received full fitness clearance.
The series will take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The first T20I will be played on September 13, the second on September 15 and the third on September 17. All three matches will take place at the same venue.
The squad is led by Shreyas Iyer, with Tilak Varma as vice-captain. The selection gives India a mix of senior players, young batters, all-rounders and several pace and spin choices.
Sanju Samson Returns to the Team
Sanju Samson is one of the main names back in the India squad. The wicketkeeper-batter missed the T20I series against Zimbabwe in July. He now returns as one of two wicketkeeper choices, with Ishan Kishan also part of the squad.
Samson’s return gives India another experienced option in the top and middle order. He has also shown his value in T20 cricket through his performances at the domestic and IPL level. His place in the squad also adds more choice for the team when it decides its final playing eleven.
Ishan Kishan remains in the group, so India have two wicketkeeper-batters to choose from. This gives the team more freedom with its batting plan before the first match in Delhi.
Jasprit Bumrah Makes a Major Return
Jasprit Bumrah is another major name back in the squad. His return is important because he remains one of India’s most trusted fast bowlers across formats.
Bumrah last played a T20I for India in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand on March 8. He then missed the final ODI in England after a recurrence of a left knee injury. He also missed India’s two-Test series in Sri Lanka.
However, Bumrah’s place in the Afghanistan series is not yet fully certain. His selection comes with a fitness condition. The same condition applies to Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana. Their final status will depend on clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the fitness status of the players would be known before September 9. This means India still have some time to make the final call before the first T20I.
Hardik Pandya Misses Another Series
The biggest concern from the squad is the absence of Hardik Pandya. The all-rounder has not made the team for the Afghanistan T20Is because he has not regained full fitness.
Hardik’s return has faced another delay after a fresh leg issue during his recovery. Reports say he had made progress at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, but the latest problem forced him to stop bowling for a period. His batting is not the main concern, but the medical team wants to make sure he is fully fit before he returns to competitive cricket.
Hardik has not played a competitive match since his Mumbai Indians appearance in the IPL on May 24. His last match for India came in the T20 World Cup final on March 8. A leg strain had also ruled him out of the ODI series against Afghanistan and later white-ball matches in Ireland and England.
His absence is important because India do not have a direct replacement with the same mix of fast bowling, power hitting and experience. The selectors appear keen to avoid any risk with his fitness.
A Strong Mix in the Squad
The 15-player squad has several familiar names. Shreyas Iyer will lead the team, while Tilak Varma will serve as vice-captain.
The batting group has Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Shivam Dube. Tilak and Iyer also add strong options in the middle order.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has kept his place after his role in the Zimbabwe series. His presence shows that the selectors still want to give young players a chance at the highest level.
India also have several all-round options. Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar can give the team more balance. Nitish and Washington, however, still need fitness clearance.
Spin and Pace Options
India have two specialist spinners in Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar can also offer spin, which gives the team several choices for Delhi conditions.
Varun returns after a hamstring injury that he suffered during the England tour. He missed the Zimbabwe series but has now returned to the squad.
The pace group has Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Bumrah and Harshit still need fitness clearance, while Arshdeep is available as part of the confirmed group.
If all the players receive clearance, India will have a strong bowling attack. But the team will need to watch the fitness status of its key players before the series starts.
Full India Squad
The full 15-player squad is Shreyas Iyer as captain, Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma as vice-captain, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana are subject to fitness clearance.
Eight players from India’s Zimbabwe squad do not feature this time. They are Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav and Prabhsimran Singh.
Three Matches in Delhi
The Afghanistan series will begin on September 13 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The second T20I will take place on September 15, while the final match will be played on September 17.
The series has added importance for both sides. Afghanistan have used India as a venue for some of their home matches in recent years. The two teams also met in a Test and a three-match ODI series in June. India won that ODI series 3-0.
For India, the T20Is offer a chance to bring key players back into the side and assess the squad before the next major part of the calendar.
Fitness Remains the Main Question
The biggest question before the first T20I is not the squad itself but the fitness of four players. Bumrah, Nitish, Washington and Harshit all need clearance.
Bumrah’s return could give India a major boost if he receives the green light. Hardik’s absence, however, remains a concern because India are still waiting for the all-rounder to regain full fitness.
For now, India have a strong 15-player group on paper. The final team will depend on medical clearance and the choices made by the captain and selectors before September 13.
The Afghanistan series will therefore give India a useful chance to test their T20 options while also keeping a close watch on the fitness of some of their most important players.
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